Reviews written by Richard Beck

Richard is a retired teacher with extensive experience of drama, dance and music in secondary schools. Based in London he spends much of his time travelling around the world but makes sure he is back every year for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

‘Who would you prefer to be. Me or you?’ Harold Pinter explores the frailty and blindness of love in a world and a room run by madness, solitude and fear. Nicholas wants everything, everything all in one room. But you need to know what will be left at the end. How long will it all last?
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‘Sexually experienced woman seduces beautiful virgin boy.' Written during the plague outbreak of 1592 that shut London’s theatres, Venus and Adonis was Shakespeare’s first published work, and an instant bestseller. The vivid language and youthful vibrancy of the poetry make it an exhilarating
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When broadcaster Janet Gershlick lost both her beloved mum and stepfather within three months of each other she decided to write about her devastating loss, the journey of grief and how to survive it. Developed into a one person performance she speaks with honesty, passion, emotions and a little
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'They said I'd be good at it.' The story of a young woman soldier's journey through post-traumatic stress by award-winning playwright Lesley Wilson, developed in collaboration with the British Army. Following training, Joanna is deployed to Afghanistan and believes she is prepared for what lies
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Semi-Toned, the burgundy-blazered winners of BBC Two's The Choir: Gareth's Best in Britain, jump out of the TV to bring you a vibrant new show. If you want some Beyoncé, stay tuned. If you want some Bublé, stay tuned. In fact, if you want any music ending in an acute é, stay tuned. Semi-Toned,
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‘What are two grown men doing together, faking all the stupidities of a straight relationship?’ Revived for the first time since its 1999 debut at The Almeida, Certain Young Men is a sensitive, inventive look at contemporary queer relationships and the ways in which they are represented,
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Diane’s real-life quest to record the vanishing storytellers of Kurdistan leads to a harrowing, revelatory journey in Turkey. Mystical carpet dealers, chain-smoking grandmothers and shy village heroes unlock the hidden life of the mountains where true stories of their struggle mix with enigmatic
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Gunshot Medley is a new play that addresses black lives in the US. Playwright Dionna Michelle Daniel weaves together generations of stories through poetry and song to respond to the insensitive usage of the Confederate flag after the Charleston church massacre. In her play, the souls of three slaves
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Nick – 17, very gay and goth – loves dancing in his pants to the Sugababes and Steps. His misadventures include working with a grumpy old man, being obsessed with his straight mate and hating his family for refusing to reject him due to his sexuality. A raucous, rather rude comedy about the
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